“You want me to send it?” she asked.
Reaching over, he tapped send. She got a whiff of his cologne in the process, the scent curling her toes, before he returned his phone to his pocket. “Sorry about the other night. I was in a bit of a hurry, but I’m not making the mistake of not getting your number again. We have plans later, Saylor Bates.”
Her phone gave off its subtle buzzing sound in response to his message, and her heart buzzed right along with it. “Oh, we do?”
“If that's okay with you." His lips. That smirk. She could look at that smirk all day long.
A strange sort of squeak leaked from her mouth. Even Darcy’s mouth opened.
"I—sure, I like plans." Too late, Saylor realized she should’ve asked him what he had in mind.
He smiled. “I'm glad to hear it. Unfortunately, I’ve got to get back to my crew.” He peered down the cubicles and toward the large row of windows enclosing them in, as if he could see the men working from here. "They're cold, and I told them I'd grab some lattes."
To Saylor’s left, Shelly’s door opened. She stepped out in her usual striped business suit and bobbed haircut. After giving the room one of her investigative sweeps, she directed a glare toward Cole. Her lips tweaked in a way Saylor knew all too well.
“You’d better get out of here before I get in trouble,” Saylor said under her breath, smiling over his shoulder at her, hoping Shelly read her mind: It’s okay. He's leaving now.
Cole’s brows drew together at her distraction. He followed the line of her gaze and waved at her boss. Shelly's scowl faded to something like curiosity.
“You said I could visit,” he said discreetly, leaning in closer.
“I never said anything of the sort,” Saylor argued, fighting another smile.
He’d only assumed as much. And boy, was she glad he did.
“She doesn’t have to know that,” he said.
Shelly gestured at Saylor, widely, for the whole floor to see. Several others peered over their cubicles in their direction. An embarrassed flush trailed up Saylor’s spine.
“I hate to say it, but your few minutes are up,” Saylor told him, making sure to twist her mouth into a smile so he knew she was teasing.
Inconspicuously, he tapped in another message on his phone. Hers buzzed in response, making her jump.
“Check your messages,” he said, pocketing his phone. He motioned as if to step closer, but with another glance toward Shelly, thought better of it. “Thanks for letting me drop by.”
“Bye,” Darcy said, as though she had some sway in their conversation.
Cole waved to her, then again to Shelly, before turning the full force of his backside on her, which only got better as he walked toward the front of the room. Her heart pounded so hard she had runner’s lungs by the time he reached the door.
Cole had come to see her. He could have looked up Drex Corp and called, but he came. She wondered what drew him away the other night. Maybe he hadn’t been sure she was interested. And by the time she’d made it clear that she was, he’d had to leave.
The minute he was out of sight, Darcy swiveled her chair over. “Girl, he wants you to call him. Is that guy butter or what? Where did you pick him up?”
“At the mall,” Saylor said. The heat in her chest had to be turning her every shade of red.
In a Santa suit.
Chapter Seven
Grinning from temple to temple, Saylor swiped a finger across the screen to open Cole’s text. Her heart thudded like a rabbit’s hind leg, making her both eager and nervous all at once. She had no idea what Cole would be texting about.
Do you like Christmas lights?
A small squeak escaped. She clasped the phone to her chest.
Who doesn’t? she replied, blindly making her way back to her seat.
She sat in front of her computer, her toes tapping a percussive nuisance against the thin plastic mat. She envisioned all kinds of scenarios he could be alluding to involving Christmas lights now that Christmas was over. Driving past random houses to view people’s displays? Maybe he was helping his mom get rid of her surplus and wanted to know if Saylor wanted any? Not very romantic, but it was the best she could come up with.
Another string of customers called. Someone couldn’t get her automated emails to send; another didn’t like the layout of his website. Saylor helped the woman easily enough but had to put the man on hold and contact another rep to find out how to tell him to handle that one.
After twenty painstaking minutes and the man’s increasingly agitated tone of voice, she resorted to helping him fix it herself.
By the time she was able to glance at her phone again, her little text icon displayed the number six. Six new messages. Happiness rippled through her, burning in her low belly in a way she hadn’t felt in years.
It quickly faded. It turned out only two of them were from Cole. One was from her mother, one from her landlord, and the remaining two were a needle in her balloon, popping what was left of her elation in an instant.
Will have Parker home a day late. Amanda’s parents really like him and want to take him to Rock Creek Canyon for snowmobiling.
“What?” Saylor said in disbelief.
Darcy peered over, but Saylor didn’t answer her questioning glance. A sinking dread sent her insides plummeting, and she clenched her elbows to her sides. She couldn’t believe David was doing this. She didn’t have a clue who these people were, and he thought he could pawn off their child to them? Lots of people took likings to small children. They were called kidnappers.
“He’s my little boy—not hers,” she muttered, her hands shaking. Saylor’s. Not Amanda’s parents’. And what about safety gear? Did they know how many six-year-olds died from riding snowmobiles
